“gymmnocarpa” means naked fruit. The sepals on this rose species fall off early, leaving the rosehip bald or ‘naked’.
Rosa gymnocarpa
baldhip rose
Description:
Slender, weak-stemmed shrub. Stems grayish brown, prickles few to many, slender, more or less straight.
Leaves: deciduous, with odd number of hairless leaflets. Leaflets with rounded tips, double-toothed glandular edges.
Inflorescence: loose cluster of 1–3 small flowers with stalked glands.
Flowers: 5 pink petals, each petal about 1/3 in.
Sepals: Five green sepals at base have smooth edges and the tips equal length of flower.
**The sepals fall off early, leaving the scarlet hip bald when ripe - hence the name “baldhip”.
Grows in forests, shrublands, from near sea level to high elevations. May hybridize with R. nutkana.
Rarity: Locally Common
Flowering Time: All Summer
Life Cycle: Perennial
Height: 1--5 feet
Habitat: West-Side Forest, East-Side Forest
Found In: Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np, N Cascades Np, Siskiyous, Crater Lake Np, Wallowas, West Gorge
Source: Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest
Additional resource: OregonFlora Project